Written answers
Tuesday, 6 May 2014
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Single Payment Scheme Payments
Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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340. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a €1,000 single farm payment has ceased in respect of person (details supplied). [19978/14]
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department carried out an examination of land parcels declared under the Single Payment Scheme and other area-based Direct Payment Schemes. As part of this review an ineligible area was identified and removed from a parcel declared by the person named for the scheme year 2009. The person named was notified of this decision and of their right of appeal. Following an appeal from the applicant, my Department has carried out a review of the case and has partly accepted the appeal submitted. The penalty has been reduced down from €954.13 to €183.88. Therefore, the applicant is due a refund of €770.25, which will issue shortly.
Dan Neville (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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341. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if full complement of single farm payments will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [20007/14]
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Under the Terms and Conditions of the Single Payment Scheme, an applicant, as well as meeting the Scheme criteria, is required to comply with EU regulatory requirements relating to Cross Compliance. A report detailing the findings of an inspection by Limerick County Council on 16 January 2013 was received by my Department on 4 April 2013. This report detailed breaches of cross compliance requirements in relation to Nitrates Regulations and the requirement to maintain lands in Good Agriculture and Environmental Condition.
The breaches under the Nitrates Regulations were reported in relation to the maintenance of records, the inadequate collection of soiled water, livestock manure and organic fertiliser and the stockpiling of farmyard manure on land in breach of regulations governing buffer zones. The breaches were deemed serious and intentional resulting in a 60% penalty being determined.
The inspection report also detailed a breach relating to the requirement to maintain lands in Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition due to evidence of poaching of lands. This resulted in a 5% penalty being determined. However as a similar breach had been recorded at an inspection in 2012 rules regarding repetition were applied which resulted in a 15% penalty being recorded.
Overall, these breaches resulted in a 75% penalty being applied against the 2013 Single Payment Scheme. The person named was notified of this decision on 16 May 2013. The person named appealed this decision and was notified of the outcome of the review, which was to uphold the original decision, on 6 February 2014. The person named has appealed this outcome to the independent Agriculture Appeals Office and that office will be in contact with the person named in due course to arrange an oral hearing.
Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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342. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment will issue under the 2013 single payment scheme to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; the reason for the delay in issuing this payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20030/14]
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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A review of the land parcels declared by the person named under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme revealed that one of the land parcels declared by the person named contained ineligible features. As the person named applied submitted an application for a review of my Department’s decision, a visit by a Department official to verify the position was necessary to progress the matter. This verification visit was conducted and the file is being processed. The applicant will be informed of the findings of the verification visit as soon as possible.
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